Holidaymakers waste millions of pounds each year buying travel insurance from travel agents rather than shopping for more competitively priced and comprehensive cover. This week the Treasury announced that it was considering bringing travel insurance bought through travel agents under the umbrella of the Financial Services Authority, bringing it into line with cover bought via brokers.   ■Do I need travel insurance?

The old E111 form, for which you had to apply annually at a Post Office and entitled UK citizens to free or cheap medical treatment in all European Union countries, has been replaced by a standardised European Health Insurance Card (Ehic). It is credit card-sized and obtainable free via the Department of Health website (www.dh.gov.uk), by phone on 0845 606 2030, or, as before, from Post Offices, although you can’t get one on the spot.